Lovin' Pretty Women

Steep Canyon Rangers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 14, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rebel Records
• ASIN: B000SQKYV6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,992 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The right attitude, gumption, original material, & traditionally-rooted chops, August 15, 2007

By 

J. Ross "a-music_fan" (Roseburg, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lovin' Pretty Women (Audio CD)

Playing Time - 35:52 -- Eventually the Steep Canyon Rangers will no longer be just in their 20s. By the time they turn thirty, they'll be well-known far and wide for their brilliant performances and excellent recordings. Their fifth album since forming as a band in 1999, "Lovin' Pretty Women" has all the same splendid ingredients of previous releases that helped them win IBMA's 2006 Emerging Artist of the Year Award. The young, hard-working, and prolific band has been able to tour heavily since their jump to going full-time in 2001. Being on the road can be grueling, and the Steep Canyon Rangers have been able to maintain personnel stability that few bluegrass bands can claim. In early 2005, Woody Platt (guitar, vocals), Mike Guggino (mandolin, vocals), Graham Sharp (banjo, guitar, vocals), Charles R. Humphrey III (bass) welcomed a fifth permanent member (fiddler Nicky Sanders) to the band. Although Sanders is a Californian, he fit right in with the other guys who originally met while students at UNC in Chapel Hill. The band found Nicky attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Collectively, they have the right attitude, gumption, original material, and most importantly traditionally-rooted chops to make a serious go of it.

Previous albums from the Rangers have enlisted the production assistance of folks like Curtis Burch or Mike Bub. Engineered by Wyatt Rice (who also guests on rhythm guitar), "Lovin' Pretty Women" was produced by Ronnie Bowman who lays in some harmony or backing vocals on four tracks. A third guest (Randy Kohrs on Dobro) slides gold into two numbers ("Don't Ease Me In" and "Pickin' on Josh"). Rebel Records' support is helping these boys climb the sheer walls and precipitous cliffs to stardom. Since the O Brother! movie, bluegrass music has won new converts who recognize it as something more than a passing fad to niche market devotees. Steep Canyon Rangers "cross-market" themselves to serve as young bluegrass ambassadors at venues and festivals where the music might not regularly be heard.

This album includes some nice covers like "Ain't No Way of Knowin'" and "Don't Ease Me in." Like their last two Rebel albums since 2004, "Lovin' Pretty Women" has originals from Sharp, Humphrey and Guggino. The song lyrics are all included in the 12-page CD booklet. The songs all punchy honky-tonkin' numbers, and rendered with a bounty of bluegrass bang. I especially take to the Rangers' appealing delivery with power, passion and emotion. That's called drive! These boys sing about being ramblin' men who can't resist the wanderlust and the call of the open road. At the same time, they have a clear aim for their music. With plenty of brand new songs, they have just one request - "let me live to love and love to live and lay me down to rest." Makes sense to me. That's the perfect sentiment for a sensational and soulful bluegrass group that is riding the enjoyable wave of life. I've made the recommendation before, and "Be Still Moses" gives us a small taste of what this band could do with a future all-gospel project. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars steep canyon rangers, February 8, 2008

By 

joseph cromwell (buffalo,ny) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lovin' Pretty Women (Audio CD)

oh do these guys rock!! great traditional bluegrass ! i met them at Tottenham, Ontario festival last summer and they stole the show! the fiddle player is just amazing. but all of them together just pour it out. great Cd to have playing while just riding around! these guys are goin places!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Bluegrass NOW!", September 4, 2007

By 

Robert R. Lyon "Maryland Bluegrass Guy" (Olney, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lovin' Pretty Women (Audio CD)

The latest CD from the 2006 IBMA Emerging Artists of the Year. These five
great young men and artists are emerging no more - they have indeed arrived! A great follow up to the outstanding CD, "One Dime at a Time".
This CD showcases the Rangers writting ability (they write most of their
own music), the individual talents of each as an outstanding instrumentalist(most of them were recently initially nominated for individual IBMA 2007 instrumentalist awards) and great, great tight harmonies. The Rangers clearly have a passion for what they do - you must do yourselves a favor and see them in person (they all do a wonderful job of "meet and greet"!). The title cut, "Lovin'Pretty Women" will clearly quickly move to # 1 on the charts. They cover a wide range of great new and traditional bluegrass music. Each of the songs on this CD are equally strong, but I am particularly impressed with "Ramblin' Man is a Ramblin'Man", "Call the Captain","Be Still Moses", Don't Ease Me In",
and "New Sleepy Eyed John" and of course, "Lovin' Pretty Women" (it is certainly a candidate for song of the year!). Today's bluegrass music does
just not get any better than this!!